Latinx journalist discusses discrimination in media coverage and new book
Award-winning writer Roberto Lovato spoke to students and faculty about his book on the lack of Latinx representation in American society. // Photo courtesy of Ian Behnke.
Through firsthand accounts of an abusive upbringing, political awakening, war and media-led discrimination, Salvadoran American writer, activist and educator Robert Lovato brought out tearful emotion in Hofstra students during a discussion of his book, “Unforgetting: A Memoir of Revolution and Remembrance” and the role of Latinx people in society. The event took place on Thursday, Oct. 21 in Breslin Hall. Published last year, Lovato’s book contains multiple themes including perceptions of Latinx people in media and the encouragement of rebellion against unjust policies. During the event, Lovato and several students were moved to tears due to the sensitive topics of parental abuse, discrimination against Latinx people and the horrors of war.
“A young woman I met today had tears in her eyes when she was talking about my book,” Lovato said. “And I was like ‘I can die happy.’ I’ve done my mission in the world as I wanted to move hearts and minds.”
Lovato himself was choked up when a member of the student panel asked him to discuss the relationship he had with his father. Lovato said that his father is a very talented man and is loved by many people that he knows, but Lovato faced abuse from his father. He said that the dynamic he had with his father changed greatly and included periods of hate and rebellion before he could find it in his heart to forgive and love his father again.
Lovato also elaborated on the lack of Latinx voices in the media. He pointed out that publishing companies were largely to blame for this issue. He said that only 1% of all published books in the United States are written by Latinx people, but 18% of the U.S. population is of Latin descent.
Instead, Latinx people are perceived as “tropical sidekicks” in society, he said, resulting in many media companies filtering their voices as well as the establishment of stereotypes, along with those of other minority groups. However, he was undeterred by the efforts of the media. “It’s not trouble,” Lovato said. “We bring the trouble.”
“I am half-Dominican and I felt that a lot of the story was very true through my own experience of not being represented in the media,” said Isabella Moreno, a freshman screenwriting major. She expressed gratitude towards Lovato for the effort he is putting towards trying to resolve the issues of underrepresentation.
Lovato then went into detail about his experience in the Salvadoran Civil War and how it impacted his views on life and politics. He served as an urban commander with the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, the guerrilla rebellion force organized against the Salvadoran government. He said that he traveled to El Salvador to report on the conflict and learned that 85% of fatalities in the war were innocent civilians killed by the nation’s government. Half of these victims were children under the age of 12.
After learning these statistics, he felt as though he could not sit back and let these events happen. So, he joined the rebellion against the Salvadoran government. Lovato likened the government’s violent acts towards civilians to acts that may be committed by the devil, saying that contributed to his decision to join the fight.
When discussing the war and the lasting issues of violence and poverty in El Salvador, Lovato pointed out the involvement of the United States in the Central American country. The U.S. supported the Salvadoran government through funding, military equipment, training and political guidance, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. “There’s terror and violence in El Salvador,” Lovato said, “but there’s terror and violence in America too, and the United States has a lot to do with the violence in El Salvador.”
“I’ve known Roberto for so many years,” said Mario Murillo, vice dean of the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. “So, just to have him be able to come to campus to share these stories with the whole Hofstra community, I was very happy to see him here.” He went on to say that Lovato had experiences that only he could tell, emphasizing the importance of having his story told and retold.
“I feel as though it was super brave of him to come here and, not only tell his personal story,” said Rachel Hajec, a freshman journalism major, “but to also read some of the book to us. It was really moving and I was very happy to hear about it.”
Lovato said that one of the goals of his book was to encourage readers to see the light in the world. He stated that there are a lot of problems and challenges that face modern society. However, he wanted the “wonderful and sublime to shine” in front of the world’s darkness. Most importantly, he wanted this to ring true for the Latinx community, allowing for the gifts and talents of people in the community to shine through the veil of negative stereotypes.
Lovato encouraged those in attendance to hold everyone accountable for their actions, regardless of race or creed. He reminded the attendees to be aggressive in the struggle for social change. “You will not improve the condition of the world if you do not dismantle the structures that currently exist,” he said.
